Three key relievers see first game action

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Dodgers got their first game looks at three key members of the bullpen Tuesday when Brandon League, Kenley Jansen and J.P. Howell pitched an inning each against the Giants.

League, signed to a three-year, $22.5 million contract to close after his acquisition from Seattle last year, allowed a solo home run by Brett Pill and had a strikeout.

Jansen, who recovered quickly from an ingrown toenail last week, walked the first batter he faced, but retired the next three.

Howell, signed to a $2.85 million deal when left-hander Scott Elbert needed a second elbow operation, was charged with two runs when he allowed a walk, hit a batter and allowed a two-run double to left-handed hitter Brandon Belt.

With assist from Koufax, Beckett starts off strong

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Ten springs ago, Sandy Koufax spent a few days in the Marlins' camp at the invitation of his former batterymate and then-Florida manager Jeff Torborg. Among the pitchers he worked with was a 22-year-old fifth starter named Josh Beckett.

"You can imagine how excited I was 10 years ago," Beckett said. "It was pretty special."

A decade later, Beckett is trying to recapture some of the magic that followed those sessions, and he credited Koufax after throwing two scoreless innings with three strikeouts against the Giants on Tuesday in his first Dodgers spring game.

"A lot of it is my line [toward home plate]," said Beckett, a three-time All-Star coming off a 7-14 season. "We worked 10 years ago with the idea of where I need to be, and my line sometimes isn't as direct as it needs to be."

To combat that, Beckett said he's felt most comfortable pitching out of the stretch during his spring bullpen sessions. He seemed surprised that he maintained his line toward home plate while pitching out of the windup Tuesday.

"This was only the second time I pitched out of the windup since my last game in L.A. last year," he said.

Beckett took more time off from throwing during the offseason. That and the tweaks Koufax suggested apparently have left him feeling fresher than he expected.

"This is easier on my body," he said. "I've thrown a lot of batting practice and this is the first time I can ever remember going in feeling like I can put something on the ball."

Beckett also complimented pitching coach Rick Honeycutt for "personalizing" a throwing program designed to have him ready for Opening Day and not linked to rigid benchmarks during the spring.

Castellanos, Moore make most of chance to play

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The ongoing rehabs of Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford have provided outfield playing time for the likes of Alex Castellanos and Jeremy Moore, who took advantage of the opportunities Tuesday.

Castellanos slugged a three-run homer in the Dodgers' 8-8 tie with the Giants, while Moore had a pair of doubles in his first game action in 18 months.

Castellanos, acquired at the 2011 Trade Deadline from St. Louis in the Rafael Furcal trade, is being tested in center field, having earlier satisfied manager Don Mattingly that he can handle the corner spots.

"He could give us that right-handed bat against a left-handed pitcher, and he's on the roster, which is nice," said Mattingly.

Moore is a non-roster player who has been out since the middle of 2011 with a bad hip that required surgery last spring, forcing him to miss the entire season with the Angels.

"It's hard to believe I've been out this long," said Moore, who had the same surgery that Jerry Hairston had five months ago. "We've been talking about that. He's a lot farther along than I was, but maybe I just had more damage.

"I'm thinking I've got a clean slate over here. The guys have made me feel comfortable and I'm just going out there and showing what I can do."

Lilly slated to make spring debut against Angels

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Dodgers left-hander Ted Lilly is scheduled to make his first Spring Training appearance on Thursday against the Angels at 12:05 p.m. PT on MLB.TV. Ace Clayton Kershaw will start the contest.

Lilly is coming off September shoulder surgery to repair a frayed left labrum. Although he hasn't had any setbacks, Lilly has been eased into a spring workload for precautionary purposes.

Lilly is one of eight established starting pitchers with guaranteed salaries in Dodgers camp. His uncertain health was a contributing factor in the club's offseason acquisitions of free agents Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Lilly is joined by Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang as starters from last year's rotation who don't seem to have a role this year.

The 37-year-old Lilly was off to career-best 5-0 start in 2012, but he made only eight appearances -- none after May 23.

Stephen Fife, who followed Kershaw in Saturday's exhibition opener, will pitch in the split-squad game on Friday against the Angels in Tempe at 12:05 p.m. PT on MLB.TV.

Cruz out of lineup, Gwynn misses workouts

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Dodgers third baseman Luis Cruz was scratched from Tuesday's starting lineup against the Giants with flu-like symptoms and outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. was held out of workouts to nurse a sore left groin muscle.

Cruz came off the field midway through morning workouts because of a nauseous stomach. Juan Uribe, originally scheduled to serve as the designated hitter, started at third base for Cruz with Tim Federowicz as the DH.

Gwynn, who walked twice, stole a base and was caught stealing in Monday's 7-6 win over the Cubs, said the groin injury is not related to the sports hernia that nagged him all of last season.

Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.